Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पृच्छामि पोष्यवर्गं च युष्मद्वाक्यं विशेषतः । यदि तत्पातकांशं मे ग्रहीष्यति कुटुम्बकम् । तद्युष्माकं ग्रहीष्यामि यत्किंचित्पार्श्वसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

pṛcchāmi poṣyavargaṃ ca yuṣmadvākyaṃ viśeṣataḥ | yadi tatpātakāṃśaṃ me grahīṣyati kuṭumbakam | tadyuṣmākaṃ grahīṣyāmi yatkiṃcitpārśvasaṃsthitam

Translation

पृच्छामि पोष्यवर्गं च युष्मद्वाक्यं विशेषतः। यदि तत्पातकांशं मे ग्रहीष्यति कुटुम्बकम्। तद्युष्माकं ग्रहीष्यामि यत्किञ्चित्पार्श्वसंस्थितम्॥

Word by Word

• pṛcchāmi: I ask
• pṛcchāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• poṣya: dependents to be maintained
• poṣya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: poṣya (प्रातिपदिक; यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त from √puṣ ‘to nourish’)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; अर्थः ‘पोषणीय’ (to be maintained)

• vargam: group
• vargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• yuṣmat: your
• yuṣmat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थ (your)

• vākyam: statement/word
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb ‘especially/in particular’)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद as determiner), एकवचन (Singular)

• pātaka: sin
• pātaka: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (Singular)

• aṃśam: portion/share
• aṃśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: my / to me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/Dative relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• grahīṣyati: will take/accept
• grahīṣyati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• kuṭumbakam: family/household
• kuṭumbakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭumbaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: then/therefore
• tat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (correlative ‘then/therefore’)

• yuṣmākam: of you (all)
• yuṣmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• grahīṣyāmi: I will take/accept
• grahīṣyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• yat: whatever
• yat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative particle ‘whatever/that which’)

• kiṃcit: anything/something
• kiṃcit: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक from kim)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite/quantifier)

• pārśva: side/nearby
• pārśva: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; अर्थः ‘पार्श्वे’ (at the side/nearby)

• saṃsthitam: placed/kept
• saṃsthitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Caurā (the thief)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The thief points toward his household/servants, proposing a ‘test’; one hand reaches toward sages’ belongings nearby—showing lingering greed; sages remain vigilant and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Poṣyavarga (dependents)
• Kuṭumba (household)
• Munīśvaras (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One cannot justify adharma by claiming it is for family; true responsibility requires honest inquiry and willingness to renounce sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter’s moral narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns ethical decision-making about theft and karmic sharing.